Favorite Japanese Skaters

[lesnar001]

I'll just talk about the ladies this time....

There are many that I love.
Yuka Sato, Shizuka Arakawa, Yukari Nakano (always felt she was underappreciated in her later competitive years), Mao Asada, Satoko Miyahara.

I apologize to any I have forgotten to list here.

There is one I have to list separately because she truly is unique and is one of my all-time faves in any discipline.

MIDORI ITO!

btw - this is a video of her during warm-up for an adult competition - doing a double axel at the age of 48.
https://youtu.be/V-Zfv1qniHU?t=6

 

[Grin]

1) Mao Asada
2) Shizuka Arakawa
3) Wakaba Higuchi

1) Yuzuru Hanyu

 

[deedee1]

There is one I have to list separately because she truly is unique and is one of my all-time faves in any discipline.

MIDORI ITO!

btw - this is a video of her during warm-up for an adult competition - doing a double axel at the age of 48.
https://youtu.be/V-Zfv1qniHU?t=6

Thanks for the link. Back in the days every time I saw Midori skate, she always made me smile.
And even today every time I see her 3A, my jaws drop! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e13___pdLCs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SOgMe-MpII No one, I mean including men, no one else can jump 3A with that height. The best in the business, no doubt.

 

[chasingpolaris]

So in general I love any skater who was/is part of Team Japan but here are my top favorites:

Ladies:

Mao Asada - She’s my favorite female figure skater. I call her Queen Mao for all the graceful movements, her nerves of steel for challenging the 3A throughout her career, that epic Sochi FS and just being a sweetheart. Also, she’s a foodie. Bonus points for that!

Satoko Miyahara – I love the subtle details in her skating. She has some pretty epic music but she doesn’t let that dwarf her skating at all. And oh hey, her consistency deserves more love!

Also like Akiko Suzuki (her Cirque du Soleil programs are gorgeous) and Kanako Murakami.

Men:

Daisuke Takahashi – The trailblazer for Japanese men’s figure skating and my favorite male skater. He can skate forever with no jumps and I’d still watch him.

Shoma Uno – I don’t see him trying to be like his idol Daisuke. He’s definitely developed a style of his own and I love it when he interprets the hell out of the piece of music he’s given.

I like Kozuka, Oda and Mura too. But Dai and Shoma are pretty much my top favorites.

Pairs:

Narumi and Mervin were fine together. Just sad that it didn’t work out.

Ice Dance:

No doubt, Kana Muramoto and Chris Reed. I think they’ve grown so much since their first season.

 

[RafaelAstro]

1 Mao Asada <3
2 Rika Kihira <3
3 Yuna Shiraiwa <3
4 Kaori Sakamoto
5 Wakaba Higuchi
6 Mai Mihara
7 Mako Yamashita
8 Nana Araki
9 Satoko Miyahara

 

[deedee1]

Thanks a million indeed for you all here which I, as someone from the country who's been following the sport for decades since Midori-era, have truly enjoyed reading them with so much gratitude! Some of new skating fans will never know how much I'm over the moon I'd say, me remembering that Nobuo Sato, our 10 peat/times National Champion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuo_Satō , was whispered in the ears by one of the skaters (or judges, sorry I don't remember well) at the Worlds in 1965 he would have won the bronze medal only if he'd been a skater from either Europe or America/Canada :disapp:, and that Midori in her earlier competitive days she was harshly criticized 'she has no artisty, her expression is that of an 8yo girl...' :dev2: Now many of skating fans in the world do applaude Yuzuru, and send so much love to Mao, Dai and many other Japanese skaters. Unbelievable! Old fans of the sport would probably understand just how much I'm over the moon these days.

My picks? It's so hard to pick some tbh because I love them all Men, Ladies, Pairs, IceDance. I just can't dislike anyone! esp considering all the environments of the sport for them to continue trainings in and outside Japan. But let me try.
......
1. Daisuke Takahashi No one else grabs my heart like the way he does. :
2. Daisuke Takahashi for his wide range of versatile styles/skating to make justice to ANY music.
3. Daisuke Takahashi for bringing quite many new fans every four seasons with his 3-time appearances at the ly Games AND making many old fans incl me to fall in love with the sport for 20,789 times! :luv17:

I'm positive one or two of you who's known me might have guessed right. :giveup: ..........

 

[lesnar001]

Thanks for the link. Back in the days every time I saw Midori skate, she always made me smile.
And even today every time I see her 3A, my jaws drop! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e13___pdLCs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SOgMe-MpII No one, I mean including men, no one else can jump 3A with that height. The best in the business, no doubt.

The "HOLY GRAIL" of figure skating - Midori's triple-axel.

I wonder back then if people were thinking "oh yeah - all the ladies will be doing triple axels in a few years"

NOPE - and nowadays a lot of the men seem to have troubles with it too!

She made it look so easy - sometimes they appear to be doubles - thank goodness for the slow-mo

"always made me smile" - is a wonderful way to describe her :luv17: